Yarn supply means in textile twisting machines



E. BATES May 23, 1961 YARN SUPPLY MEANS IN TEXTILE TWISTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 29, 1958 6 Sheets-Sheet l m L TR May 23, 1961 E. BATES 2,984,954

YARN SUPPLY MEANS IN TEXTILE TWISTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 29, 1958 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 YARN SUPPLY MEANS IN TEXTILE TWISTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 29, 1958 E. BATES May 23, 1961 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 May 23, 1961 E. BATES 2,984,964

YARN SUPPLY MEANS IN TEXTILE TWISTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 29, 1958 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 y 3, 1951 E. BATES 2,984,964

YARN SUPPLY MEANS IN TEXTILE TWISTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 29, 1958 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 E. BATES May 23, 1961 YARN SUPPLY MEANS IN TEXTILE TWISTING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Aug. 29, 1958 United States Patent YARN SUPPLY MEANS IN TEXTILE TWISTING MACHINES Eric Bates, Haworth, Keighley, England, assignor to Prince-Smith & Stells Limited, Keighley, England Filed Aug. 29, 1958, Ser. No. 758,083

Claims priority, application Great Britain Sept. 2, 1957 8 Claims. (Cl. 57-106) The invention has reference to textile twisting machines and more particularly to the means provided at the creels of such machines for guiding the unfolded supply yarns as they are drawn from their packages. The tendency to use large capacity packages produced on modern spinning machinery introduces certain problems not hitherto encountered with small packages, connected with the operation of unwinding the supply yarns from their bobbins or the like. Where the yarn is pulled from the side of a package freely rotatable on a creel peg, the strength of the yarn determines the upper limits of weight and size of package which can be unwound successfully, whilst the over-running of a freely mounted package may result in the formation of snarls which, if not removed, may be bound into the twisted thread. Where, on the other hand, the yarn is drawn over the end of a stationary package, although the yarn is not subjected to serious tensional strain, the guide means heretofore provided for the yarn have been incapable of compensating variations in tension due to the change in package diameter, and snarls have been permitted to occur.

With the object of providing improved means for leading the yarn as it is drawn from a creeled package, whereby irrespective of the size and weight of the package, the yarn may be unwound without risk of breakage or the formation of snarls due to variations in tension, the present invention proposes to employ in conjunction with the mounting for each package a tension member having a guide-eye receiving the yarn drawn from the package, the arrangement being such that the guide-eye assumes a position in alignment with the side of the passage, so that a constant tension is imparted by said arm to the yarn in all unwinding conditions; such tension member is used in combination with a stationary guide located at a point on the axis of the package and spaced away from the end thereof.

An embodiment of the invention, as applied to the creel of a textile uptwisting machine, is illustrated in and hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively a side elevation and a front elevation of part of the creel, showing two adjacently mounted packages the yarns on which are to be twisted together to form a single thread. Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively a side elevation and a front elevation of a modified embodiment of the invention. Figs. 5 to depict another modified embodiment, where the tension arm is used to operate a stop-motion in the event of yarn breakage; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the creel attachment, showing the parts in the positions occupied during normal running and Fig. 7 is a s'nm'lar view showing the effect of a yarn breakage at the creel. Figs. 6 and 8 are detail views respectively as seen in the direction of the arrows A and B in Figs. 5 and 7. Figs. 9 and 10 are detail views of the mercury switch respectively in the normal running position and when actuated by a yarn breakage.

Fig. 11 is a side elevation showing the parts illustrated ice in Fig. 5, together with the spindle driving motor and the delivery roller.

In respect of each such pair of packages, which are designated by the reference numerals 10, 11 respectively, there is provided a holder 12 which is mounted by means of a bracket 13 upon a fixed part 14 of the creel. A pivotal joint 131 between the holder 12 and the bracket 13 permits the former to be moved pivotally in a vertical plane, for ease of threading up and to facilitate replacement of the packages in the creel, and the bracket 13 itself is capable of adjustment upon the part 14 about the axis of the setscrew 15 to permit adjustment of the operative position of the holder 12 according to the size of the packages.

The holder 12 extends across the creel in a position displaced at one side of the packages 10, 1 1, and there is mounted on said holder, in respect of each such package, a tension arm 16, which is capable of pivotal movement about an axis at 161 parallel to the axis of the package, and having at its free extremity a narrow guide-loop 162 of considerable length. The arrangement is such that What ever the instantaneous diameter of the package a part of said guide-loop 162 occupies a position in alignment with the side of the package.

Also mounted upon the holder 12, in a position co-axial with each package 10, 11, is a fixed yarn guide 17 of conventional form, from which guide 17 the respective yarns 1111, 111 are conducted to the delivery roller assembly (not shown), where they are combined and delivered to the twisting unit.

In operation, the yarn is passed through the loop 162 of the tension arm 16, and through the axially located fixed guide 17. As yarn is drawn from the package by the pull of the delivery roller assembly, the tension arm 16 will automatically move into a position in which part of its loop 162 is in alignment with the point on the package from which the yarn is being pulled; as yarn is drawn oif, and the package diameter becomes progressively diminished, the tension arm 16 will swing about its pivot 161 so that the loop 162 constantly adjusts itself across the end of the package, thereby maintaining a constant light tension in the yarn and so preventing the formation of snarls therein.

Stops 18, 18 may be fixed to said holder 12 to prevent excessive movement of the tension arms 16.

The invention is applicable to creels in which the packages are disposed vertically, nearly horizontally or in any intermediate attitude.

In the modified embodiment illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the apparatus comprises an arm 19, which is hinged for pivotal movement in a fore-and-aft direction about a pivot 21 upon a member 21 which is supported by a bracket 22 carried by a fixed member 23. A spring 24 tends to hold the arm 19 in the normal operational position shown in the drawings. The arm 19 carries in respect of each yarn 101, 111 an off-set 25 upon which are supported two spaced Wire guide members 26, 27. Between said members 26, 27 is a disc-type tension device 28, controlled by a spring 29 and located at a point in alignment with the axis of the package 10 or 11. Upon the lower parts of the members 26', 27 there is mounted a loop 31) which is freely slidable but prevented from passing over the ends of the members 26, 27 by the outwardly bent portions thereof indicated at 261, 271. Above each of the tension devices 28 there is a fixed guide 31 the purpose of which is to facilitate the operation of threading the yarn through the tension device '28.

Each yarn 101, 111 is drawn from its package 10, 11 beneath the loop 34) and passed over the tension device 28, the guide 31 serving to lead the yarn correctly to the latter. Each yarn is next taken directly over a roller 32 on the lower extremity of the arm 19 and thence to the traveller of the twisting unit (not shown).

The free sliding movement of the loop 30 upon the guide-members 26, 27 as it rides upon the yarn drawn over the end of the package automatically compensates variations in the yarn tension, due to the differences in diameters of the packages and any ditferences in tension as between the bottom and top of the package. The loop 30 normally assumes a position in alignment with the side of the package, but Where the yarn tension tends to decrease it is restored by the downward movement of the loop 30. Conversely, an increase in yarn tension is compensated by an upward movement of the loop 30. In this manner the formation of snarls due to variations in yarn tension is avoided, and furthermore, when the machine is stopped the loop falls to the furthest extent of its downward movement on the members 26, 27, i.e. to the position depicted in the upper part of Fig. 4, in which it imposes a suflicient tension to prevent snarling of the yarn whilst the machine is at a standstill.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the arm 19 is articulated at two places, viz. at 20 as above described, and also at 201. A spring 241 serves ordinarily to maintain the lower part 191 of the arm 19 in alignment, but the arrangement permits the arm and the members carried thereby to be swung aside to provide access to the creel as required.

In a machine in which the spindles have individual electric driving motors, and in which means are provided for interrupting the drive to individual delivery rollers, we may use the modified embodiment illustrated in Figs. to 11 of the drawings, in which there is associated with each tension arm 16 a mercury switch arranged to control the circuit of electromagnetic apparatus for operating a stop-motion by which the spindle motor is arrested and the delivery roller disengaged from its drive in the event of a yarn breakage at the creel. The tension arm 16 relating to each package is of the general character of the arm 16 hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, but in this case the arm is pivotally mounted at 161 in the casing wall of a mercury switch 33 and a second limb 163 of the arm is arranged to dip into the mercury at 34 (Fig. 10) when the arm 16 is allowed to fall into the position shown in Figs. 7 and 8 by a re duction in the yarn tension. The closure of the switch may be used to energise an electro-magnet 35 which, may serve to actuate the stop-motion detector cradle 37 and thereby stop the spindle motor 40 and disengage the delivery roller 41 from its drive. A second mercury switch 36 in the same circuit may be broken when the stop-motion is operated, to ensure that the electro-magnet 35 is de-energised as soon as the stop-motion has been operated.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A textile twisting machine having a creel and a mounting for each package of supply yarn on the creel, wherein the creel for packages of supply yarns comprises in conjunction with the mounting for each package a pivotal tension arm having a guide-eye receiving the yarn drawn from the package mounted with capability of movement across the axis of said package, the arrangement being such that a constant tension is imparted by said arm to the yarn in all unwinding conditions due to the assumption by the guide-eye of a position in alignment with the side of the package.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein there is associated with each tension arm a fixed yarn-guide located on the package axis at a point spaced from the end of the package.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tension arm is provided at its free extremity with a narrow loop of considerable length, such that whatever the instantaneous diameter of a package a part of the loop will occupy a position aligned with the side of the package.

4. A textile twisting machine having a creel and a mounting for each package of supply yarn on the creel, wherein the creel for packages of supply yarns comprises, in conjunction with the mounting for each package, a pivotal tension arm having a guide eye receiving the yarn drawn from the package and mounted with capability of movement across the axis of the package, the arrangement being such that a constant tension is imparted by said arm to the yarn in all unwinding conditions due to the assumption by the guide eye of a position in alignment with the side of the package, said tension arm being pivoted on a holder fixed to the creel with capacity for adjustment to suit packages of dififerent diameters and arranged for pivotal displacement away from the packages for the purpose stated.

5. A textile twisting machine having a creel and a mounting for each package of supply yarn on the creel, wherein the creel for packages of supply yarns comprises, in conjunction with the mounting for each package, a pivotal tension arm having a guide eye receiving the yarn drawn from the package and being mounted with capability of movement across the axis of the package, the arrangement being such that a constant tension is imparted by said arm to the yarn in all unwinding conditions due to the assumption by the guide eye of a position in alignment with the side of the package, said tension arm comprising spaced guides a rider slidable on said spaced guides and adapted to be supported by the tension of the yarn passed beneath it, said rider normally occupying a position aligned with the side of the package but being arranged to rise and fall on its guides in response to increments or decrements in yarn tension.

6. A textile twisting machine having a creel and a mounting for each package of supply yarn on the creel, wherein the creel for packages of supply yarns comprises, in conjunction with the mounting for each package, a pivotal tension arm having a guide eye receiving in yarn drawn from the package and being mounted with capability of movement across the axis of the package, the arrangement being such that a constant tension is imparted by'said arm to the yarn in all unwinding conditions due to the assumption by the guide eye of a position in alignment with the side of the package, said tension arm comprising a support, two parallel spaced guide wires depending from said support, and a rider slidable on said spaced guide wires and adapted to be supported by the tension of the yarn passed beneath it, said rider normally occupying a position aligned with the side of the package but being arranged to rise or fall in along said guide wires in response to increments or decrements in yarn tension, said rider being a wire loop spanning between said two parallel spaced guide wires splayed outwardly at their lower extremities to retain the rider.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein the apparatus includes a disc-type tension device located on the axis of the package, over which the yarn is threaded after passing beneath the slidable rider.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 1, including spindles and delivery rollers having for the spindles individual driving motors and means for interrupting the drive to the delivery rollers, and a control circuit for operating said spindle driving motors and said drive for said delivery rollers and including a mercury switch in said control circuit, wherein the tension member is operatively associated with said mercury switch in a circuit controlling a stop-motion for arresting the relative spindle driving motor and the delivery rollers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

